Eating Locally

I have always been one who cares about the environment. I am not an environmentalist by any means, but I do what I can to "go green". That being said, I have always thought it was best to eat locally. That is until I read the article in our "Globalization" book. This article really opened my eyes. It made me realize that eating local isn't always best. Sometimes the farming practices of local farmers are more harmful to the environment than other farms. Also by not eating locally we help the economies of poorer countries that produce certain foods. Also by driving to buy locally grown food we are using more gas than we would just to drive to the nearest supermarket. On the other hand though, there are still some benefits to eating locally. More often than not local foods are safer. The majority of local farmers use less chemicals on their produce. Also eating local can help your local economy. With these tough economic times that sounds like a pretty good idea. So what's my point? I guess I don't really have one. I think this is a really sticky situation. How are we supposed to know which option is really the best choice? I guess its a personal decision. Which benefits are most important to you. For me, I am still undecided, but I am glad that we read this article, because it opened my eyes to another side of this issue that I haven't contemplated before.

US Foreign Policy

I think that the United States should limit the amount of involvement around the world. I am not saying to be completely uninvolved, but I also think that there should be limits. I think that ever since the victory of WW2 the United States has felt an obligation to become involved in everything that goes on in the world. I think that we always assume that countries want/need our help. We sometimes barge into countries and tell them that we are the best and that they need to adopt our way of doing things. I believe that rather than forcing our ways on other countries, we need to dig a little deeper. Learn about their culture, what they value. I believe that if we try to understand their background and where they are coming from before we impose our ideas, that there would be less conflict in this world. I believe that having discussions with other countries and keeping positive relationships is the best foreign policy. I also understand that this is easier said than done, and if the conflict is not workable through discussion that war would be acceptable in this situation. I also understand that the United States is very fortunate compared to many countries. Another way I think we can help is through personal outreach organizations. Donate to programs that help those in need in less fortunate countries. I went on a humanitarian trip to Thailand, and it really opened my eyes. They live off of so much less than we do and they are still happy. I think that personally as Americans we need to cut back on things that are unnecessary and reach out to others that are in need.